The present invention relates to a rechargeable battery that includes a plurality of rechargeable battery cells which are situated in an interspaced manner in a rechargeable battery housing which is filled at least partially with a filler material which encloses the rechargeable battery cells.
Rechargeable batteries of this type are composed of individual rechargeable battery cells which are interconnected to form packs or modules, and are therefore often referred to as rechargeable battery packs or rechargeable battery modules. In these rechargeable batteries or rechargeable battery packs or rechargeable battery modules, the individual rechargeable battery cells are usually situated in a symmetrical configuration in a rechargeable battery housing which is typically filled with plastic. The plastic encloses the rechargeable battery cells which generate heat as a result of a temperature rise that takes place during the charge and discharge operations as a result of current flow; this heat is capable of impairing the functionality of the rechargeable batteries. This heat is dissipated from the interior of the rechargeable battery to the surroundings via the plastic casings, in order to prevent the rechargeable battery cells and, therefore, the rechargeable battery, from becoming overheated.
The disadvantage of the related art is that the rechargeable battery cells situated around the center of the rechargeable battery housing, and rechargeable battery cells having a larger number of adjacent cells usually heat up to a greater extent due to poorer heat dissipation than do the cells situated at the edge of the housing or than do cells having fewer adjacent cells. The result is an inhomogeneous temperature distribution in the rechargeable battery housing; the rechargeable battery cells that heat up to a greater extent age to a greater extent and more rapidly than do the cells that heat up to a lesser extent. As the number of charge and discharge cycles increases, the result is premature ageing of the rechargeable battery cells that were heated to a greater extent, up to the point at which one of these cells becomes defective prematurely, thereby rendering the rechargeable battery unusable and shortening the service life of the rechargeable battery. In addition, the individual rechargeable battery cells heat one another up during the charge and discharge operations. In the case of rechargeable battery cells in particular that have a relatively large number of directly-adjacent rechargeable battery cells, this may result in local overheating of the rechargeable battery, which may render it unsafe to operate.